Back to square one
Encyclopedia
"Back to square one" is a phrase
that means to go back to the beginning.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary
, the phrase most likely originated from children's games such as hopscotch
and snakes and ladders
. The earliest recorded use of it in print is from a 1952 edition of the Economic Journal.
An alternative theory is that the phrase originated from early radio
commentaries of football
matches by the BBC
in the United Kingdom
. The first live radio commentary featured a Division One match between Arsenal
and Sheffield United, broadcast on January 22, 1927. A grid of a football pitch divided into eight numbered squares had been printed in the previous week's Radio Times
so the commentator could describe the ball's location. Square one meant the rear left quadrant of the defender's side of the field.
The theory postulates that whenever a game was restarted from a goal kick
, it would be in square one, hence the phrase. However, as is clear from the diagram, there are four possible squares from which a goal kick could be taken. Furthermore, the squares system was dropped by the BBC soon after its inception, and the OED notes that over 20 years passed between its abandonment and the first recorded use of the phrase in print. A number of recordings of commentary using the system survive; the phrase "back to square one" does not appear in any of them.
Phrase
In everyday speech, a phrase may refer to any group of words. In linguistics, a phrase is a group of words which form a constituent and so function as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence. A phrase is lower on the grammatical hierarchy than a clause....
that means to go back to the beginning.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
, the phrase most likely originated from children's games such as hopscotch
Hopscotch
Hopscotch is a children's game that can be played with several players or alone. Hopscotch is a popular playground game.- Court and rules :- The court :...
and snakes and ladders
Snakes and ladders
Snakes and Ladders is an ancient Indian board game regarded today as a worldwide classic. It is played between two or more players on a game board having numbered, gridded squares. A number of "ladders" and "snakes" are pictured on the board, each connecting two specific board squares...
. The earliest recorded use of it in print is from a 1952 edition of the Economic Journal.
An alternative theory is that the phrase originated from early radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
commentaries of football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
matches by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The first live radio commentary featured a Division One match between Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Sheffield United, broadcast on January 22, 1927. A grid of a football pitch divided into eight numbered squares had been printed in the previous week's Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
so the commentator could describe the ball's location. Square one meant the rear left quadrant of the defender's side of the field.
8 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
7 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
The theory postulates that whenever a game was restarted from a goal kick
Goal kick
A goal kick, called a goalie kick in some regions,is a method of restarting play in a game of association football.-Award:A goal kick is awarded to the defending team when the ball goes out of the field of play by crossing the goal line when the last person to touch the ball was from the attacking...
, it would be in square one, hence the phrase. However, as is clear from the diagram, there are four possible squares from which a goal kick could be taken. Furthermore, the squares system was dropped by the BBC soon after its inception, and the OED notes that over 20 years passed between its abandonment and the first recorded use of the phrase in print. A number of recordings of commentary using the system survive; the phrase "back to square one" does not appear in any of them.